Nat Geo Digital Motion to License Exclusive CICC Footage

BEIJING, December 4: National Geographic Digital Motion has
scored the rights to never-before-seen archival footage from China in a
first-time agreement with China Intercontinental Communications Centre (CICC),
the media production arm of China’s State Council Information Office.

The deal grants National Geographic the rights to nearly
1,300 hours of programming and 3,000 hours of footage. National Geographic will
be responsible for licensing all footage on behalf of CICC, making the exclusive
content available for sale worldwide.

This is the first time the CICC has opened its digital
archive to the world since its digital film archive library was established in
2004. The archive library is equipped with a video frequency acquisition system,
program production services and digital video and audio storage facilities,
with a core platform of Media Asset Management.

"CICC shares National Geographic's commitment to
preserving footage that specializes in the genres of nature, history and culture,"
said Jocelyn Shearer, the VP of video licensing and archive management for
National Geographic Digital Motion.

"We've done a lot of quality factual programming for
National Geographic Channels and we value the long and solid relationship with
our National Geographic partners," said Yuan Lili, the deputy director of
CICC. "This cooperation on footage between CICC and National Geographic
Digital Motion provides a good opportunity for world audiences and the media to
get a firsthand look at China's audiovisual materials, and it is also helpful
for the world to know more about China as the 2008 Olympic Games
approach."

—By Kristin Brzoznowski